The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gentiana of hybrid origin and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘True Blue’. ‘True Blue’ represents a new Gentian, an herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.
The new Invention arose from an ongoing controlled breeding program in Hubbardston, Mass. The objective of the breeding program is to develop hybrid cultivars of Gentiana with unique and superior garden attributes. In particular, to develop plants that are well branched with sturdy and upright plant habits, that exhibit a long season of bloom, and that exhibit flowers that open and are true blue in color on both the inner and outer petal surfaces.
The Inventor made a controlled cross in 2001 in his test garden in Hubbardston, Mass. between an unnamed plant of a hybrid of Gentiana makinoi as the female parent and an unnamed plant of unknown botanical origin as the male parent (possibly a species or hybrid related to Gentiana scabra). Neither parent is patented. ‘True Blue’ was selected in August 2004 as a single unique plant amongst the resulting seedlings.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by division in Hubbardston, Mass. in 2006. It has been determined by propagation both by division, stem cuttings and tissue culture that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.